Only If
by forever my dear
Summary: Bella is forced to go to a family reunion in Texas, and she takes Edward with her. She has to deal with her family's embarrasing stories and what happens when they find out she's engaged?
1. The call

**so this is just a thing that poped in my head randomly. and just so everyone knows; i dont own twilight, just her family, minus renee. enjoy! **

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I awoke to the sound of a blaring beep in my ear. I groaned and rolled over on my back, with my left arm draped over my face. Today was the day Edward was coming home. He was on a weekend hunting trip with Emmett, Carlisle and Jasper. "Male bonding" as Emmett put it. I couldn't wait until he came back. I would take soft kisses and low whisperers in my ear, over that damn alarm clock any day.

I rolled back over onto my stomach and slammed my hand down on the 'off' button on the alarm, letting my hand slide off the table. I laid there for ten minutes before smacking the pillow with my hand and getting out of bed. I glanced once more at the clock before dragging my feet to the bathroom.

I shut the door with a soft click and locked it. I don't know why I bothered, if anything wanted to get me I doubt a flimsy lock would stand in their way.

I stepped into the warm spray and my muscles immediately relaxed. I took my time wiping the sleep away. I stood under the spray until the water ran cold. I got out and dried off. I wrapped the towel around me and unlocked to door. The cool air caressed my bare arms and legs as I walked to my room.

I shut my bedroom door behind me and turned to face my room. There, laid out on my newly made bed, that I hadn't made, was a pair of dark wash blue jeans and a pair of small healed black ankle boots with a knitted covering. Near the head of the bed was a shirt with mid length sleeves and a chunky turtle neck collar that hung about three inches down the front. Next to it was a pair of lacey black underwear and a black bra to match. I looked closer to find a canary yellow post-it note stuck to the bottom of the shirt. It read:

_Wear this. P.S. six out of fourteen days, your going._

_-Alice_

I sighed. Alice wasn't even in my house and she was still playing Bella Barbie.

I didn't dwell on the last part, knowing I would find out soon.

I slipped on each piece of cloth piece by piece until all I had left were the death trap shoes. The heel was two inches, not much, but tall enough for me to kill my self. I didn't put them on just yet.

I ran the brush through my hair a few times to get the tangles out, and put it up in a tight ponytail. I grabbed my cell phone that Edward had insisted that I get. I only used it for when one of the Cullen's called. I slid it into my pocket making sure it wouldn't fall out. I glared at the devil heels before huffing and grabbing them in my hands. I was going to put off wearing them until I absolutely had to.

I came downstairs to find that Charlie had already gone to work. I sat the shoes down at the end of the staircase, and made my way into the kitchen making my self a quick bowl of cereal. I didn't bother bringing my food into the table and ate in the kitchen. Half way through the bowl my phone started to ring. I slipped it out of my pocket and opened it without checking the number.

"Hello?" I said, with my mouth half full of raisin bran.

"Bella! I haven't seen you in ages!" I choked on my cereal, coughing erratically. I knew that voice, I knew it like the back of my hand.

"Katie? Where did you get my number?" I hadn't given it to her, for good reason.

"I got it from your mom. Now I have something to tell you." Of course she did. I love the girl to death but she always wanted something.

"What is it?"

"Well, the whole family is getting together, you have to come. Everyone wants to see you one last time."

I dropped my spoon. I knew my family. Possibly the loudest, craziest family that there ever was. And I knew me. I was not, under any circumstances, going anywhere without Edward that was more than fifty miles away for any length of time.

"Katie, I…" I started, but was cut off.

"Don't even Bella. don't make up excuses because you don't want to go. I already bought the tickets for you to come to Texas. So your coming for two weeks, no matter what. Non refundable."

Texas? Yeah, that's the perfect combination. A vampire going to Texas for two weeks. I'm sure Edward would be a hit at all the disco parties.

I stood up from the table and went back upstairs and grabbed the post-it note Alice had put on the shirt. I groaned when it all snapped into place. Six out of fourteen days. Fourteen days was two weeks. The six was most likely the sunny or rainy days. And the all so famous 'your going' part was just the icing on the cake.

"By the way, everybody's bringing someone with them, so I got you an extra ticket."

Oh look here come the sprinkles to top off this lovely cake.

"Just let me talk to some people alright?" I said sharply and closed the phone, not waiting for an answer.

I don't know why I was mad. Maybe it was because she told me instead of asking me, wich I had been getting a lot of lately. It could have been that it was in Texas, or the fact I had just gotten engaged and they were going to try to fit in each wedding party there is to think of into that two weeks. Or maybe It was just because aunt flow was coming to visit. Quite possibly a combination of all three. I flopped down on my bed and laid there for a few seconds when I started to cramp. Yep, definitely a combination.

Edward probably already knew from Alice, and was keeping a safe distance until I calmed down a little. That was most likely his best bet right now.

My phone vibrated near my head. I grabbed I and flipped it open to see I had a text message from the number that had just called.

_I sent the tickets in a few days ago, they should come in soon. _

I shut the phone and chunked it at the pile of clothes sitting in a pile in the corner. Laying back down I shut my eyes and went over my family. There was Christi, who was like an older Alice but not as short and perky. Eric was the big joker and prankster, Emmett's long lost personality twin. Nathan was the friendly guy. Always making people laugh. Kevin was Christi's husband. Man, he loved his money. Their two kids Chase and Nick.

Chase I would say had the hardest time when I left. He was the closest to me, he called me sissy even though I was his cousin. Nick really didn't care as long as you got him something, he liked money. Takes after his dad in that department. Michelle was Eric's wife. She was like Christi, always happy and smiles. And pregnant. With twins. Then there was Katie. She loved to party. And throw them. Her boyfriend was the perverted one. He got along great with Eric naturally.

I groaned, and opened my eyes. Those were just the cousins. In-fact, I think a few babies were born since then.

I got up, and grabbed my phone, slipping it and the note into my pocket. I went into the dining room and grabbed my bowl, washing it out in the sink before getting some of my laundry and loading them into the washer. My phone vibrated again while I was putting in detergent.

I took it out of my jeans. This time it was from Edward.

_May I come inside?_

I smirked. So he did know. I walked to the front door and opened it. There he was standing in all his glory. His hair, speckled with rain drops that reminded me of morning dew. His eyes, a rich, light topaz that sparkled in the florescent lighting. His lips, a soft supple pink that stretched into his crooked smile that made my heart melt.

I stepped back and let him walk in. shutting the door behind me I walked up to him and hugged him kissing down his chin and neck.

"I missed you." I told him. He leaned his head down and kissed my lips softly.

"as did I." he replied. Edward wrapped his arms around my waist, as he kissed me again. My hands made their way behind his neck, keeping out of his hair. Our lips were moving in a delicious rhythm when my phone started to ring. I groaned as Edward pulled away. He smiled crookedly at me and stepped away.

I sighed and pulled out my phone. Katie's number flashed across the screen. I ignored her call, putting the phone back in my pocket. I looked up, and Edward was raising his eyebrow at me.

"Its Katie. Ill call her back." I told him. I sat down at the table and Edward followed.

"Who's Katie?" He questioned me. If he didn't know who Katie was then he didn't know what she wanted. And that meant he didn't know where we were going.

"My cousin. She sent me two non refundable tickets to Texas, for me to go to a family thing." I said pulling out the note in my pocket and tossed it to Edward. " And according to Alice, we are going."

I barley caught his eyes flash to the paper reading it in an instant, then flashing back to mine.

"Are you sure you want to go?" Edward asked.

Did I really want to subject Edward to my family? To the embarrassing stories and the plain loudness? The sleepless nights and the sex jokes? No. not really. Should I? as much as I didn't want it to be true, it was.

"Yes." I groaned and leaned my head on my hand, which was propped up on the table. He grabbed my free hand and held it in his.

"But I should warn you, they are… different ." I said trying to find a word that described them best.

Edward smiled. "I think I can handle it."

But he didn't know just how wrong he was.

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**SOOOO!** **did ya'll like it? reviews make me ecstatic! purdy please?!**

**- britt**


	2. Getting there

**Hey guys. sorry i took so long to update. im slower than mollases. and just so that everybody knows i put the links to the outfit bella is wearing in chapter one on my profile along with ways to contact me with twitter and myspace. this chapter is a little chopy because i wanted to get this out and not wait anylonger. sorry. and i am going to put the link to the car that Christi loaned to her for her stay on my profile sometime later today. and sorry its so short. im going to try to make the next ones that follow longer.**

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It had only been a few days since I had found out we were leaving for Texas. The tickets had come in three days later leaving only two days to get ready. Alice had bought me a new wardrobe filling three new suitcases. Everything had been taken care of. Charlie, weather patterns, sleeping arrangements. Everything. Except for one little thing. Telling Edward about my family.

I had put it off until the last moment, and it was here in the terminal to get on the plane that I knew it was now or never.

All of our luggage was on the plane and we were about to board. Edward had gotten me something to eat before we came. It was going to be a long flight. Long enough for him to get the basics about my family.

We got on the plane, I was in the window seat and Edward was next to me. We hadn't spoken much about the trip, just enough to know what was going on. As the plane took off I settled into the seat.

"Edward I need to tell you about my family." I told him.

He looked at me and smiled. "Alright." He said and turned slightly so he could see my face better. I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts.

"Okay, lets start with the basics."

He smiled that crooked smile I love and I had to remind myself what I was doing.

"Umm… my grandma, Faye Tatum." I began. "Lets start with her. She had five kids then her youngest got pregnant at fourteen and raised her three kids. We say she has been pissed off for forty years and She doesn't 'do' love. No hugs no kisses." I said remembering things that I hadn't thought about in a while. I loved my grandmother, but she has a mean side. Like chase you out of the house with a metal bat kind of mean.

I continued to tell him about my family and who would be there. Edward asked a few questions, probably so that I knew he was listening to what I was saying.

After I had finished I let out a long silent yawn.

"Your tired." Edward stated. I thought about denying it but just nodded my head. I was tired. I had been busy making plans and shopping with Alice that I hadn't been getting a good nights sleep for a few days.

I rested my head on his shoulder and inhaled his scent. It calmed me enough for my body to relax. His fingers toyed with a lock of my hair that fell over his shoulder. My eyes closed as I tried not to think about what was going to happen in a few hours.

I must have fallen asleep somewhere between worrying and trying not to because the next thing I knew Edward was shaking my shoulder gently whispering my name. I sighed and rolled my head so that I was back where it was supposed to be on the chair. I opened my eyes and looked at Edward. He smiled at me and took my hand in his.

"The plane is about to land." He told me softly. I nodded my head and attempted to smooth my hair down. I wiped my eyes with my free hand and straightened up.

"How long was I asleep?"

"A few hours." He said in the same tone. Edward lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed it gently. He kept a light hold on my hand so I could move it around. My hand lingered near his mouth and then his cheek. I brushed my thumb against his cheek, then dropped my hand to my lap. I had the overwhelming urge to stretch and I reached my arms over my head and stretched my legs out pulling my back. I relaxed into the chair and looked up at Edward. His eyes were piercing into mine and I couldn't look away. He leaned down and pressed his lips to my ear.

"At least three men watched you stretch and enjoyed it, myself included." He whispered. A small shiver went down my spine from his closeness and his words didn't help me being still. My cheeks burned scarlet and I looked down. He moved his face away from my ear and smiled.

Twenty minutes later and we had gathered our luggage. There were six suitcases sitting next to two people. Pass byres must have to thought we were moving. Edward grabbed his three and one of mine. I don't know how he did it but he did.

We walked to the chairs and I sat my luggage down. I grabbed the key that had came with the tickets. There was supposed to be a car that was parked in the front of the lot that had a sign on it.

Grabbing my luggage again I looked at Edward.

"Lets go." I sighed. We walked out and the sky dark pink melting in with a deep purple. I took in a deep breath, there was a distinct scent of heat that filled the air. There was a light breeze that blew hot air over my skin making it a few degrees warmer. The wind blew my hair back over my shoulder and out of my eyes.

Edward tapped my arm. "I think I found the car." He said with a smile on his face. "Your family has a very nice car preference."

I looked in the direction he was turning towards and my mouth dropped open. Was everyone determined to get me into a expensive car? I groaned. Why? Why couldn't it be a nice little car that didn't go over 110 mph?

I grabbed the suitcase that I had sat down and started to walk over to the flashy red car. On the side was a lengthy piece of paper that stretched from one end to the other. It read 'Bella Swan meet your new best friend! Love Christi." I opened the door and found the switch that popped the trunk and lifted it. Stepping back I looked the car over. It had a sleek top and was a shining bright red.

I walked to the back so I could put the baggage in. the back was just as sleek as the hood. I lifted the lid and plopped the two suitcases that I was holding into it and Edward did the same. He shut the trunk and grabbed my hands.

"Are you ready?" he asked. That was a question that I had to think about. I said a small yes and he pulled me close so that his lips were centimeters from mine.

"I love you." he whispered against my lips before he captured them in his. He kissed me slowly, reassuring almost. It ended just as fast as it began but I was still left breathless in his arms.

"I love you too." I whispered back to him.

We got in the car, me in the drivers seat, and there was another note taped to the wheel.

_By the way, it's a Ferrari 599. _

I sighed and ripped off the paper and tossed it into the passenger floorboard. I leaned back into the tan leather seats and put the key in the ignition turning it on. The car purred to life and I looked at Edward. He was admiring the inside running his hands along the dash.

"Edward?" I said softly. He turned to look at me with a crooked grin on his face.

"Yes love?"

"Get ready." I sighed out. He kept his smile and leaned in kissing me softly.

We drove in a comfortable silence to the house. I had to take out the directions a few times to find where we were going. I hadn't seen these roads in about five years.

We were heading to Christi's house where we were going to be staying for the two weeks we were visiting. I was told that a year ago her house burnt down, but they had received one point fie million dollars from the insurance company for all the experiences that they had lost. They now lived in a much larger house with more land than they could need.

It was dark outside when we finally arrived at a gate that had the word 'Burns' written in the middle in metal. I looked around the car for the combination to open it. Edward opened the glove compartment and pulled out a slip of paper that had the numbers 7-1-4-0-2 written on it.

I punched in the numbers onto the keypad and the twin gates opened. I drove in, not having to worry about closing the gate. The drive way was long and there were several cars parked around the driveway. I pulled into an open space and turned off the car.

I was wondering when the sign that said ' welcome to Bella Swan's personal house of embarrassment.' was going to pop out because that was exactly what these next two week would bring.

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**So.. how was it. yeah i know it was kinda a filler chapter but i had to get them there somehow. tell me what you think. **

**how do you think christi is going to act when she gets there? how do you think Edward will be precieved? who are you most wanting to see something from? Christi or Katie?**

**-Britt**


	3. Marble

I sat in silence for a few moments rolling the idea around of how much longer I could wait outside in the car without someone noticing the once empty parking space was now being occupied by a rather nice red car. My thought process was broken by a soft voice coming from the passenger side.

"Bella, if you're that upset, we can go back home." Edward told me gently. He took my hand in his carefully and brushed his cool lips against my warm knuckles. I took a breath knowing it would hurt my family's feelings if they knew I didn't come.

"No, I'm sure." I told him with a small smile on my lips. He got out of the car faster than I comprehended, opening the car door for me. He reached out his hand and smiled politely. I grinned at his chivalry and took his hand, carefully stepping out of the car and onto the solid pavement. It was hotter than I remembered from the airport. Back home in Forks, it steadily grew colder as the night progressed but here it was the exact opposite. It was as if night fall didn't even phase the blistering heat. I could already feel my skin become warmer. It had been a while since I had been in this extreme amount of heat. It caused me to take in a deep breath of dry air to allow my lungs to readapt to the warmer weather.

Edward looked at me and kissed my hand again that he hadn't let go of. "Good because I want to meet your family." He told me, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Why could you possibly want to do that?" I asked playfully to lighten my own mood.

Edwards face softened and he gently ran his thumb over my knuckles. "Because, I want to know everything about you, and your family is a part of you."

His words made me smile to myself and I kissed his cheek lightly, allowing my lips to linger for a few moments along his jaw line. I could feel a slight tremor move through his body and when he met my eyes, I could see they were a slight shade darker. I was instantly reminded of him telling me what I did to him and a blush crept over my chest and up my neck.

"Let's go meet the family." He said obviously choosing to avoid what had just transpired and he squeezed my hand lightly. I nodded silently and slid our fingers to an interlocking state.

We ascended the few steps between the wraparound porch and the yard and walked up to the door. "Here goes nothing." I murmured. Edward let out a soft chuckle and I knew he had heard me.

I took a deep breath and opened the door stepping into the foyer. The sight of this room was amazing. One look at this room and I was almost positive this house could easily be as nice as the Cullen's. The floor was white marble and had a slight sparkle to it from the light that bounced off the chandelier diamonds and onto the floor. There as a fountain pressed against the wall, spraying a small stream of water into the air and falling back down into three bowls. A coat rack stood next to the door, along with a small umbrella container. The house smelled of pumpkin spice and cinnamon, a smell I had never been able to recreate of find anywhere other than this house.

I glanced over at Edward and he seemed to be taking in the house too. That or listening to the thoughts of my family. The corner of his mouth tugged upward and I knew which one it was. Suddenly there was flurry of hair and I was rocketed backwards into the wall.

"Oh Bella! I missed you so much!" Katie shrieked into my ear. I winced at the noise and the small pain in my back from hitting the wall with a force and out of the corner of my eye I saw Edward tense slightly to my reaction. I gave him a small smile to reassure him and wrapped my arms around Katie back, my arms covering her waist long red hair. "I missed you too." I told her.

Katie squeezed me tighter and started rocking side to side rapidly. "You are never going away for that long again, do you hear me?" she told me strongly and kissed my cheek. I felt a small pang in my chest at her words but put it away for another time. She pulled back finally after another round of kissing my head and cheek before she noticed I had brought someone with me.

"Katie, this is Edward, my fiancé."

Edward smiled that polite smile of his and raised a hand in a wave. "Hello." He said. Katie looked him up and down, seemingly shocked at something. Her small arms dropped from my body and she took a step towards Edward cocking her head to the side. She studied him for a few moments before I walked quickly to Edward, taking his hand. Right about now, as I was watching her face becoming increasingly troubled, did I wish I had Edwards's mind reading abilities.

"Katie, is something wrong?" I asked her squeezing Edwards hand lightly. Edward didn't return my squeeze and I knew something was wrong.

"Katie?" I repeated, feeling my worry increase. What could possibly be her problem?

Katie's head whipped to me and she took a step closing the small distance between the two of us. "How dare you." She growled poking a finger in my chest hard. I blinked, completely taken off guard.

"What are you talking about?" I questioned, feeling me face start to turn red.

"How dare you go and find yourself a fiancé and not fucking tell me about it?" she shouted and I took a step backwards from the force of her words. Edward shifted slightly in front of me, causing me to slip behind his arm. I could feel his arm tense and I gently rubbed his knuckles lightly. In any other situation I would have gladly slipped completely behind Edward and let him deal with it, but, this was my fight.

"I'm sorry I didn't call and tell you what was going on, I just got so busy tha-that I just lost track of time and it slipped my mind." I mentally cursed my stammer for making me sound less confident in my words but, they were the truth.

Katie gave one last glare and then let out a long sigh. "That's okay, because I didn't invite you to my wedding." She said gleefully.

It took me a moment to process what she said. "You what?" I said rather loudly stepping in front of Edward and let go of his hand. I could feel his eyes watching me and he gently brushed the back of his hand against my lower back in a failed attempt to calm me down.

"You were married and you didn't invite me to your wedding." I repeated her words back to her and she just nodded. I couldn't believe her. Ever since we were young, that was the one thing we promise each other. It seemed silly now, but that promise was something I always remembered.

"When did you get married?" somehow I didn't think I wanted to hear the answer to this question.

Katie shrugged and tilted her head upwards in thought. Yeah, I so didn't want to hear this answer. "I would say about… one month ago."

"One mon-"Katie cut me off quickly raising her hand to stop me.

"We were drunk and we had a drive through wedding at a wedding chapel in Nevada. No one came and we got divorced the next week." She explained quickly. "But we are still together, just not married."

I looked at her and shook my head. "Why didn't you just stay married?" I asked rubbing my eyes with my hand. This was already enough information for one night.

"Because, a wedding is special and important and it's supposed to mean something. It's not just a piece of paper; it's a lifelong commitment to one person. How am I supposed to commit myself when we were married by Elvis?" she stated and grabbed my hand before I could say anything. "Come on, they're gonna kill me if I keep you one moment longer."

I looked back at Edward and grabbed his hand quickly, towing him along as Katie led us though a series of rooms and hallways, all impressively decorated with the finest furniture. I guess a million dollars did a person good.

We were led into a large room with the softest carpet I had ever felt. Even though shoes I could tell it was warm and soft. The walls held pictures of the family, baby pictures, school graduation photos, and of course, wedding photographs. A large flat screen TV hung over the mantle, just up loud enough to understand what the program was speaking about. In the middle of the room sat three people that I loved most. Christi was laying down on the floor with her two sons, Chase and Nick, laid on either side of her, fast asleep. It took me a moment to realize how late it actually was. The clock on the end table read 12:01 and as if on cue, a yawn hit me. Edward had come up behind me and I had barely noticed.

Edward kissed the back of my head gently and rested a hand on my shoulder lightly. I touched the top of his hand gently and grinned as Christi popped her head up. She grinned and blew me a kiss. "Tomorrow me and you." She whispered quietly so as not to wake her sleeping boys. I smiled and nodded. "Eric and Nathan will be over tomorrow with their families. We're having dinner." She filled in then sat up all the way. "Go on to bed you two. It's late and you look exhausted. "

I nodded and smiled. "Good night."

"I love you." Chrsiti mouthed and I smiled, mouthing it back. Katie narrowed her eyes at me and I rolled my eyes, mouthing an 'I love you' to her as well. She grinned triumphantly and ran up the stairs into what I guess was her bed room.

I looked back at Edward. "Come on." I whispered, knowing he'd hear me.

We walked up the stairs and entered a large room, mimicking a second living room. There were doors on each wall and I presumed the only open one was ours. Edward noticed the same thing and grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks. "I'll go get the bags." He whispered as to not disturb the relaxing silence. I smiled and nodded.

"I'll be in the room." I said and smiled softly walking into the open room and closed it gently behind me. The guest bedroom was beautiful. The walls were painted a deep brown and in the bottom left hand corner was a white silhouette of a tree branch growing from the corner that stretched over the top of the bed. The furniture was brown with accents of white that made the room feel warm and cozy.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and closed my eyes rubbing my tense shoulder. I let out a soft relieved breath when my shoulders started to loosen up. It felt amazing. The soft thump of luggage hitting the floor a few minutes later was the only noise that alerted me to Edwards presence. I could hear him shut the door quietly and i could barely make out the sound of his footfalls on the wooden floor.

"Edward." I said quietly to get his attention. He hadn't said much the entire time he was here and I needed to know he was okay with my family so far.

"Shhh," Was all the response I got before there was a sinking on the bed behind me. He gently removed my hand from my shoulder and replaced it with is cool fingers. I immediately relaxed into his cool touch and I made a soft moan of pleasure from the relaxation he was giving me. Edward gently massaged my shoulders and neck, kissing the back of my hair every so often. The feeling of his hands on me was like magic. With each stroke of his thumb I felt myself unwinding and growing more tired by the moment.

After tem minutes of his slow work, I felt like jell-o. "Edward, that felt amazing." I told him quietly and leaned back into his chest. I could feel his chest rumble with a chuckle and he kissed my temple.

"That's what I'm here for." Edward pulled me back and laid between the covers, keeping a thin sheet between us. I sighed at the offending sheet and removed it.

"If we're going to be married, I at least want to sleep completely beside you." I told him and wrapped my arms around his cold chest. I blinked and stared at his bare chest trying to remember when he had removed his shirt.

He saw the confusion on my face and chuckled lightly. "Would you rather me put it back on?" he asked and I glared at him sleepily.

"No." I said quickly and kissed his chest lightly. I felt the muscles contract under my lips, but I knew I was too tired to have any fun tonight.

"Bella, go to sleep." He whispered stroking my hair.

"I love you." I murmured against his skin, snuggling closer.

"I love you too." I heard him whisper before falling asleep to the gentle hum of my lullaby.


End file.
